Have you ever googled your business to check your organic search rankings? The results may have disappointed you. Regularly checking where your business shows on a search results page by Googling it is more detrimental to your website marketing than you may realize. So resist the urge!

In this article, we outline the pitfalls of relying on Google search results for marketing feedback and share practical ways to improve your website’s overall performance. 

Don’t Google Your Own Business! Here’s Why:

Your Search Results Are Unique to You

A single Google search won’t show where you rank in the search results for prospective customers. Google uses factors like location, search history, and interests to determine the best results for its users. You will likely see different results even if you and your prospective customer type the same keywords. The search engine is not a reliable way to determine the results your potential customers see from their search queries.

 

You Can Hurt Your Page Rankings

Googling a keyword or phrase specific to your business and not clicking on your website tells Google your company is not a good match for those keywords. If you click on your competitor’s website, you tell the algorithm that your competition should rank higher than you in the search results. 

 

Your Queries May Be More Specific

You know the keywords and phrases to find your products or services, but your prospective buyers don’t. You may use specific keywords to Google your business, but your potential clients are likely using broader terms because they do not know what they are looking for. While you are searching “Kansas City PPC agency,” your clients may only be searching for “PPC management” or “PPC ads.” Customers could use hundreds and possibly thousands of keywords to find your business. A Google search will not help you understand whether your content ranks on a customer’s search results for your specific query.

 

Your Search Will Diminish Ad Performance

There’s no good option to redeem yourself when you Google your business hoping to see your PPC ad. Click on the ad, and you’ll charge yourself. Dismiss the ad, and you’re telling the algorithm it wasn’t relevant to your search. Googling your business to view your PPC ads can severely diminish your rankings and increase your marketing costs. Instead of viewing your ad from the search engine, use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool in Google Ads. The tool allows you to see how your ad appears in search results without accumulating ad impressions and increasing marketing costs.  

 

Instead of Googling your business, consider trying one of these four options to improve website performance:

 

Improve Website User Experience

Your website should contain content people need and want to read. You must actively update your content and check user analytics to maintain your organic ranking performance. A website with relevant, engaging, and helpful content is more likely to attract organic traffic and receive backlinks.

 

Track Organic Traffic Performance

We recommend using the free tools Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track website traffic and organic search performance to improve your site’s visibility in search results. These tools provide all the information you need so you can stop googling your business and focus on SEO strategies to reach your target audience.

 

Update Business Information

You should confirm your business contact information, location, and hours of operation are accurate on social platforms like Google, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If you see clients’ reviews on Google, be proactive about responding to them. Updated information and review responses provide social proof for prospective customers and communicate value for customer feedback. 

 

Work With An SEO Agency

An SEO agency will develop a unique strategy to reach your target audience, improve your search results rankings, and keep your website content updated and relevant. Their professionals will track website analytics and improve your overall performance to make you stand out from the competition in the search results.

 

Our SEO professionals take the guesswork out of marketing by using effective strategies to increase organic traffic and improve search results performance. Contact us today, we’d love to work with you!